Fireteam Sierra
by TheOfficialPlague
Summary: With the Red Legion laying waste to the last city, a small team of four, lightless Guardians wage war against any force that threatens their very existence. The traveler has been captured, only bestowing them with a single shard in hopes that they will save Earth. Join the team as they fight to reclaim what the Cabal had taken from them, where fate decides the winner of this war.
1. Chapter 1

**Prelude: A Shimmer of Hope**

A lone figure, outfitted in an ornate, black robe with golden accents stumbles out the sliding door on the massive ship, gripping at the ground as he attempted to stand. He had already looked beaten, as if there was not a drop left of the courage he once held within him. The man soon staggered to his feet, clinging to the rifle alongside him by only the handle. He stood on the now blood-soaked, corpse-littered platform of the ship, staring up at the sky, towards the large orb that granted him his powers, now held captive by a machine. The man then fell to his knees at the edge of the ship, still looking upwards as he felt he large barrel of a rifle pressed against the back of his head, soon followed by five smaller dropships pointing their spotlights directly at the soldier. All he saw was the blinding lights of the foreign vessels that surrounded him, unable to see the monument that had brought him so far. In his last breath, he spoke to the creature that stood behind him.

"Do me.. No.. Do your captain a favor.. and drop me."

The creature behind him seemingly obliged as he was then knocked from the ship, the foot of the large, alien lifeform slamming into his back and sending him off the edge, deep into the heart of the city.. At least what remained of it. As the man hit the ground nearly five thousand feet below him, everything went black. Two days have passed as the man had miraculously woken up, armor in tatters as he began to slowly stand with frequent, painful grunts. He managed to get to his knees, prying off his helmet as he stared down at the broken piece of armor, a drop of blood falling onto the visor of it. The soldier reached up and touched his forehead, looking at his hand to discover he was bleeding heavily. He stood with another painful grunt as he began to limp along the streets of the war torn city, a small machine joining him by his side, outfitted in a now crushed, red and white armored exterior. As the miniscule object joined him, he only nodded, still moving through the once thriving city as he made his way to the outskirts, wandering into the wilderness beyond the town. Realizing he had no weapon with him, he accepted whatever may come to him, regardless if it was his assured death, or a possible savior.

A week of aimless walking had passed as the soldier and the smaller, floating machine travelled through the mountains, soon finding a perfect view of his previous home, in flames, invaded by the creatures that refer to themselves as, 'The Red Legion.' He stared for a few minutes as a command ship from the hostile military soared overhead, the ground rumbling as it passed by. He staggered to keep his balance as the massive aircraft's engines emitted their booming war cry, causing the large, metallic object to propel itself in a direct course to the large ball of light, the Traveller. The soldier stood there for a second, just watching before he continued on his way, in search of a new home. Without the light, he was reduced down to a mortal, finally fearing death for once in his life. Throughout his journey, he continued through the wilderness beyond the city, soon arriving at an area where other refugees fled for safety of the large scale invasion, a farm.

The soldier approached the small farm hesitantly, his wounds starting to get the best of him, slowing him down as he came closer. He soon succumbed to the immense pain of his new scars, falling forwards onto the grassy, dirt ground below him, passing out from blood loss. He blacked out once again the minute he made contact with the ground, for what seemed like an eternity to the man before suddenly waking up inside what seemed to be a small shack. It was nicely decorated, filled with a massive variety of colorful quilts, floor mats, and traditional-style ornaments. As he woke up, he was met by a few refugees of the farm who managed to escape the city as well, a group of three.

The one on the right was outfitted in what seemed to be a suit of very heavy suit of armor, not nearly as tattered as the other soldier's but still very beaten. He was massive, standing there at around six foot, four inches, his armor making him look even more muscular than what he would normally look like. The figure in the middle was draped in an ornate, black and white robe, with a skull-like helmet that looked as if it had been fashioned from protruding from the head of a beast. He was relatively slim, but certainly bulky enough to withstand combat against any enemy that came his way. Then there was the figure on the right, the only person to really catch the wounded man's eye as he woke up. A woman, one who he found more beautiful than the rest, but only stared, his pain too great for him to speak just yet. Although, this girl was not like the rest that the man had seen in his lifetime, her skin was blue. She was Awoken, which tended to be much more attractive than the humans. The girl was the first one to speak, her soft voice breaking the silence in the room as the woman knelt down to keep the wounded soldier from standing.

"No need to act so quickly. Your wounds are still healing, it may take a while longer."

She explained to him, then looking over to the other men in the room, both of which were standing idly by, the one in white speaking up as he removed his helmet. It was now clear the man in the radiant robes was also Awoken, his skin tone only a small bit darker than the other woman. His glowing orange irises seemingly peering right into the visor of the man on the ground as he looked over him.

"I see we share similar attire…" He began with a light tone of voice, a slight English accent with his voice. "I know what you are. You're practically just like me, a Warlock. Where else would you acquire such attire?"

The man then stood up as he looked over towards the other man in the heavily-plated armor, nodding as he then looked back to the injured Warlock, the Awoken girl also doing the same.

"An introduction is required, comrades…" The massive man spoke with a deep, raspy voice, removing his helmet to reveal the 'skin' underneath. He was not human at all, but a machine. The metallic man's appearance was a deep grey, his optics a very bright red, making him much more menacing than the other two. He began to speak once more, the inside of his mouth lighting up as the man spoke, again, the same red color.

"I am Monarch-9, an Exo manufactured primarily for New Monarchy operations. Of course, ever since the tower fell and the light was taken from us, I began to work for anyone around the farm in need of security. In case you are wondering, these are my allies, Lamnus, the Voidwalker, and Nolma, the Gunslinger."

The Exo introduced the two of his friends to the man, who was still laying on the ground, facing all of them as he then looked toward Nolma, the Awoken female, as she spoke.

"And what is your name? I would guess you have one."

The Warlock was completely silent for a moment, sitting up hesitantly as the girl helped him, seeing as his wounds were close to, but not quite yet, fully healed. He shook his head, sighing, looking over to the woman that knelt by his side.

"I am unsure…" He started, "I have been unconscious for god knows how long, I have forgotten everything."

As he said that, the others looked at each other, Monarch then speaking to the two Awoken, his tone of voice still bland, yet firm.

"Maybe we should give him a name to live by, if not, a code-name will be suitable. We will carry this out, that is…" Monarch turned to the man with a blank stare, blinking once as he gestures to the Warlock. "If you would allow us to present you with one."

The man only nodded to the Exo as the mechanical man and the Awoken man stepped out of the room, Nolma staying behind with the human man, now sitting beside him.

"Is there anything you remember? Do you at least remember how to fight?"

She asked the man, looking over to the Warlock as he removed his helmet, which was moderately shaped, only with two, metallic horns protruding upwards from the side of the dark helm. The man stared at the helmet for a second, trying to think of how he acquired the gear that he had woken from his coma with. Before he could answer the girl, the two others marched into the room, both of which looked right at the man, Lamnus saying only one thing before turning and leaving.

"We have decided. Welcome to Fireteam Sierra, Nezarec."

Once Lamnus stepped out of the room, Monarch tossed the new refugee a strange helmet, which he caught and examined. The Exo nodded to Nolma as his eyes flicked to the helmet, saying nothing else as he walked back outside with Lamnus. The woman thought for a minute where they got his name, and then realized the design that the helmet possessed, smiling a bit as she understood the reference. Nolma then stood as she noticed the man's wounds had healed, offering her hand to him, which he took with little to no hesitation. Nezarec stood up, grunting as the pain had not yet fully subsided, still finding it difficult to move at first. The Awoken woman helped him stand, slinging one of his arms over her shoulder as they stepped out of the house, revealing the bright, vegetative farm they called home.

"Well, I guess you'll be staying here with us. Welcome to your new home, Guardian."

'Guardian.'

That word echoed in his head as memories flooded back of who he once was, what he had done, and who he was now. The man looked down at the helmet in his hands, able to see a faint reflection of himself in the visor. He then strapped on the helmet once Nolma had let go of him, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes, the darkness of his eyelids serving as a comfortable space to him.

"I am Nezarec. I am a Guardian… In a world without light."

 **Chapter 1: Beyond the Wall**

Fireteam Sierra. The word 'fireteam' alone was enough to make Nezarec feel right at home, as if he actually belonged somewhere. The thought of now being alongside people who cared for him made him feel warm, tingly, safe for once in the life he has lived, which he knows nothing about. He had been daydreaming for around ten minutes before suddenly snapping back into reality, Monarch nudging him as he gestured over to the entrance of a large, dark tunnel. The area around them was dark, a light mist covering the ground as the moon shone beyond the clouds in the sky. Lamnus was scouting the area with a rifle he had, a Copperhead-4SN, peering down the scope of the weapon as he made sure the perimeter was clear. Nolma, on the other hand, was more focussed on searching the area around them for anything they could find useful.

Lamnus gave them the sign, saying it was all clear as he stood and proceeded to walk down the broken highway towards the large cave, soon stopping as the road dropped into a ditch, the asphalt stopping around half-way towards the tunnel. The Awoken man turned to the others, soon looking back at the large, underground passage, holstering the rifle on his back as he took a few steps back, gesturing for others to follow.

"We're going to have to jump. I know you guys can make it, especially you, Nolma. You're a hunter, your ability to move should be your top priority."

He said to the woman, who simply smiled and shook her head, getting a running start and easily leaping across the gap to the other side. She let out a light giggle as she stood by the edge, waiting for the others to jump across as well. Even if they managed to miss the jump, they would still be fine, the drop wasn't that big, and there was a natural ramp leading up to the opposite end. Monarch was the second to make the jump, clearing it with ease, being mostly made of machinery, the ground tearing below his feet as he skidded to a stop, laughing as he began to brush off the boots to his heavy armor. Lamnus made it as well, almost equally as fast as Nolma, landing on the other side as he then gestured for Nezarec to follow along, calling back to him.

"Don't be shy, Nezarec! If I can make it, you can as well!"

The other Warlock was nervously pacing around the ground, thinking whether or not he should really try to make it across. Heights have always been an issue for him, ever since the day he lost his power and hit the ground five thousand feet below him. Nezarec then began at a full sprint towards the end of the road, as soon as he reached the edge, leaping towards the end adjacent to him. The Warlock landed right at the edge, smiling to himself before he began slowly losing balance as a fragment of the asphalt crumbled underneath his right foot. In an attempt to stabilize himself, he moved his arms in circular motions forwards, still falling backwards however. Nolma noticed this almost instantly and grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly as she then pulled him back, his feet now planted on the safe part of the broken street. The edge he had been standing on fell apart, falling into the ditch below, the entire fireteam watching, Lamnus being the one to take the initiative and lead the team forward.

"We don't have time to stand around, let's get going. There are plenty of things to do in this wasteland, watching asphalt crumble is not one of them." The man said to the group as he continued along, Monarch and Nolma following instantly, Nezarec taking a few seconds to make sure the road was still safe before catching up to the others.

Once the fireteam had regrouped once more, the four Guardians proceeded further into the tunnel, soon reaching an area where the ground had caved in, revealing a cave right below the highway. This time, almost with no hesitation, Monarch went first, proceeding into the much darker area as he drew a shotgun from his back, pumping it once as he made his way through. Lamnus was the first to have his Ghost act as a flashlight, illuminating the way before them as the team slowly marched through the damp cave. Nolma and Nezarec followed behind, making sure to keep their sides covered as they moved along, the Awoken woman carrying a Deathstalker-4AU Submachine Gun while the man gripped a Scathelocke Auto Rifle, one he had been given before leaving the farm. Suddenly, Monarch had signalled for them to stop, holding up a fist in the air next to his head as he looked around, scanning the area. Nolma did the same, her grip on her rifle tightening as she began to get nervous of what was in there with them.

"Please tell me everyone else is hearing this."

Lamnus said to the group as he then began looking around a bit more frantically, making sure specific areas of the cave remained illuminated. He heard something in the shadows, but he was unsure what it was until one landed directly in front of Monarch. Fallen Marauders, wearing no house symbols seen before, the one standing in front of the Exo slowly rising and letting out a screech as it reeled back a blade, held in one of its four hands. The guardian fired, the sound of his shotgun echoing through the cave as more Fallen began to reveal themselves, the others taking combat positions as the group of hostile aliens grew more. Everything was silent for a second before Monarch pumped his shotgun once more, the shell ejecting from the receiver and hitting the floor. That's when the fight began. Each of the lightless guardians split up, each covering a specific area as the Fallen Marauders approached quickly, regardless if they had no range, the guardians made sure to keep themselves covered. After all, without their light, they had one life, and losing it meant the end. During the fight, Monarch rushed from his cover, still firing away with his shotgun, shredding through the targets in front of him, occasionally using his fist itself to kill the alien soldiers.

"Behind you!" Nolma called to Monarch as she slid between him and a marauder that would have stabbed the Exo in the back.

The girl kicked the creature away, causing it to stumble as she quickly emptied eight shots of her Submachine Gun into it, killing the creature as the last shot struck right between the eyes of the Fallen. Lamnus joined in covering the Exo, tackling one of the marauders as he proceeded to send his fist into the creature's mask, breaking the light metal covering, and the alien's teeth, soon killing it with a quick snap of the neck. The warlock then quickly drew a hand cannon, a Headstrong, from a holster on the back of his waist, firing one round, which tore through the neck of another Fallen, killing it instantly. Nezarec, on the other hand, had been moving through the cave behind them, making sure some of the creatures were truly dead, approaching the situation like a trained marine. He kept himself hunched a bit, aimed down his sights as he spent around two to four bullets per target, firing in small bursts. One of the remaining Fallen went for him, Nezarec soon ducking under and slamming his shoulder into its legs and then upwards, sending the Fallen marauder over his shoulders and back first onto the ground. With the creature stunned, he didn't bother hesitating, reeling back his rifle as he dropped to one knee and delivered a killing blow with his rifle, most likely breaking the skull of the Fallen, since he had felt the head of the alien dent. Once everything was done, the group made sure no one was injured, everyone checking each other to make sure no one had sustained any damages.

"First, thank you Nolma. I wouldn't be standing without that help you gave me. Second, I think this team is operative at peak efficiency compared to many others without light. We are already a good-" Before he could finish, Lamnus looked over at Nezarec with a raised eyebrow, holstering his hand cannon behind him once more.

"Nezarec, I'm impressed. Where did you receive this kind of combat training?" The Awoken man inquired, the other Warlock shrugging as he strapped the auto rifle to his back.

"I am not sure, it just felt like second nature, in all honesty." The man explained as he looked towards Nolma, who only smiled and nodded to him.

"You certainly contributed quite a bit during the firefight, thank you." She said to him, the man humbly dismissing it as he offered to lead the way in case they ran into any more Fallen.

They walked further through the cave, soon coming across what seemed to be the entrance of a mining facility. Nezarec gave the order silently for everyone to duck, waving his hand up and down slightly. They lurked along the shadows of the facility, taking cover behind a few rocks as they looked over, more Fallen ahead, many more of them, and all armed with ranged weapons. The warlock then sat down as he looked at the group, giving them hand gestures that explained two things, 'move around,' and, 'distract,' unfortunately the team did not know any of the commands. He rolled his eyes and whispered to them instead.

"Lamnus, Monarch, move around the metal catwalk up to the left and begin firing, get their attention. Nolma and I will go around the right side and take them out. Got it?"

The rest of the group nodded as they slowly snuck around to fill in their positions, Nolma staying close to Nezarec, both on a rocky ledge overlooking most of the facility. They took aim at some of the nearby Fallen, not opening fire just yet as Lamnus and Monarch had arrived at their cover. The fight kicked off in an instant, as one of Lamnus' stray rounds ricocheted off the rocks and slapped into a red barrel, which are notorious for exploding. The barrel hissed for a second before erupting, metal shards of the canister flying through the flames emitted from the detonation. Two Dregs died in the initial eruption, the flames burning them alive, three others dying from the shrapnel of the barrel. Nezarec and Nolma took this as their time to begin firing, peeking over the rocks as they fired individual bursts of rounds at the Fallen, Monarch and Lamnus taking cover as they had the idea to aim for more barrels, which really sparked a commotion. It was hard to tell what was going on at the moment with the explosions, rumbling, Fallen screeches, and gunfire from all directions.

"Nezarec, cover me!" Nolma suddenly called out as she stopped firing and began to fall back a bit, soon sprinting forwards to another point of cover, drawing the enemy's' fire.

The minute Nezarec noticed this, he called to Monarch and Lamnus, ceasing his fire for just a second as he yelled over the gunfire and explosions.

"Take them out! She's got their attention!"

That's when the gunfire really picked up, each bullet shredding through the Fallen as they approached the Awoken girl who had curled up behind the light metallic cover. The only time most of them let go of the trigger was to reload, shells flying everywhere as the last of the explosions went off, the room now echoing with the fire of automatic rifles, shotguns, and hand cannons. As the last Vandal was gunned down, Nezarec was the first out of his cover, sprinting over to the girl as Lamnus and Monarch followed behind closely. The Warlock slid into cover with her, taking a knee on the ground as he inspected for any injuries she sustained. The woman had only one injury, one of the Fallen Dreg's shock pistols had barely scraped her thigh on the first shot. The second shot landed, burning her shoulder severely, creating a scorch mark on not only her armor, but underneath as well, which was not counting the stinging sensation of electricity in the body.

"Nolma, don't move your arm so much. Monarch, help her walk, one shot skimmed by her leg. The arc power of the shot alone can hurt you if it gets close." Lamnus said to the group as he took point, making sure to keep them covered from the front.

Nezarec didn't hesitate, helping the woman to stand while Monarch handed the Warlock his shotgun, 'Good Bone Structure.' With that, the man took the weapon and helped Nolma lean on Monarch, the Exo making sure she could stand properly, since he was the toughest of all of them. Inspecting the weapon, Nezarec knew the design and faded colors from anywhere, a Suros weapon, practically a pump-action Scout Rifle. He pumped it once, which ejected the most used shell as he then asked Monarch for some more ammunition, which the Exo gladly gave to him. Once fully reloaded, Nezarec gave the weapon another pump, loading in the other shells as he proceeded to cover them from the back. Once everything was good, they moved along through the massive mine, clearing out any more Fallen they came across. Anything from Shanks to Servitors in the way of the fireteam were gunned down by primarily the two warlocks, soon reaching an elevator shaft that took them up and out of the mining facility, soon coming along to look over the forests of their new home. Somewhere out there was the farm, but the team, especially Nezarec, noticed something much more important than just a place to live, something they never expected to see.

"Please tell me you guys are also seeing this." Nolma said in amazement, now standing as he wounds had slowly healed, but still holding her arm tightly.

Monarch was completely silently, just awestruck as he realized what the large, white, mountain-like structure was. Even Nezarec had been only staring at the object, soon taking a seat on the rocky ground below him as he began thinking of what to do now. Lamnus was the only one to speak after Nolma had asked them that one question, a confident grin slowly spreading along his face. The Awoken man stood at the edge of the steep drop, right next to Nezarec and Monarch, beholding in the sight of the object.

"I see it.. Better yet, I can feel it."

The group was staring at a perfect view of a shard of the Traveller, a very big one too. This shard still had plenty of light in it, enough energy to power an entire country for a few millennia, just in view of them.

"Can you believe it?" Nolma started, taking a seat on the rocky edge, similar to what Nezarec was doing. "The Traveller left this for us. It's giving us a second chance! We can finally-"

"It's not giving us a second chance, Nolma." Nezarec corrected the woman as he then stood from his seat, handing Monarch back his shotgun as he stared at the giant, white shard of pure energy, also feeling just how powerful it is from this distance. "Do you guys remember how ghosts were created?"

The group all stared at him for a second, everyone gathering around to listen to him.

"Remember what the Speaker said? In its dying breath, the Traveller created the ghosts.. Ghosts are made from the Traveller to seek out the guardians who can use its light for good, to save Earth! To save this galaxy!"

"What are you getting at, Nezarec?" Monarch cut in, sitting in front of the man as he stood and began to pace the ground.

"The Traveller left that there for us, it wants us.. Now.. in its dying breath.. The Traveller gives pure light to the guardians to avenge it. To save it. This isn't a chance at redemption, this isn't a chance at life once more.. This is a call to war! It needs us more than ever now, so it left us a shard and expects us to fulfill that call."

Before he could walk off, Nolma stopped him, turning him back around with a worried look on her face as she spoke to him.

"But, how do you know this? The Speaker is gone, we have no idea what the Traveller is really doing."

The minute he heard that, Nezarec shook his head, sighing as he looked back towards the giant shard left by the large, white orb.

"I've never trusted him from the start.. The Traveller never speaks, it acts, and it leaves the guardians to interpret what it means. Ninety percent of the time, we're right.."

"And if we are wrong?" Lamnus asked, taking one step forwards as Nezarec looked towards him. The other warlock responded bluntly to the Awoken.

"Then we won't be alive to tell the others we were wrong. Now, let's get back to the farm, rest for a while, and then see if we can find a way to that shard." Nezarec said to them as he began march off, taking a trail down the mountain they stood on, gesturing for the others to follow, Nolma being the first to trail behind the man, then Lamnus.

Monarch took another minute to think over what the man had said, wondering if he was right about the traveller, about what it was trying to tell them. That's when the Exo also began to doubt the Speaker but also wondering how this one, lone warlock knew exactly what it was telling them. Monarch soon shook his head as he jogged to catch up to the group, which was already on their way back to the farm, Lamnus now leading the way as Nezarec spoke to Nolma, but from the Exo's distance from them currently, it was impossible to tell what he was talking about. Once he caught up, their conversation seemed to stop, Nezarec acting as if he had not been speaking at all, just looking over to Nolma, who seemed a bit more nervous than usual. Something was not right about the Warlock, Lamnus and Monarch both knew that much.

"So, what were you two talking about back here?" Monarch asked the two of them, Nezarec staying silent as Nolma turned to the Exo and explained in very few details.

"O-oh, we're just talking about.. You know, our lives before all this.." She said, avoiding eye contact while trying to be as cheerful and upbeat as possible.

"I see. Well, we will be able to share once we get to the farm, right? We can go in a circle on who did what before the Red Legion invaded." Monarch suggested with a friendly tone, walking along beside them as they all stayed completely silent through their trip back to the farm before Nezarec spoke up.

"I'll warn you ahead of time.. What I did then, I regret so much now." He softly said before Monarch and Lamnus looked at him, Nolma just holding onto his arm to comfort the guardian as they continued walking.

"He'll explain it later." The Awoken woman said to the group as the Exo hesitantly nodded, the other warlock scoffing as he turned around, still walking, muttering something under his breath.

The group continued down their trail, each of the four of them occasionally trying to spark up a conversation, but unfortunately to no avail. They entered the forest once more as the moon rose over the horizon, crickets chirping as the group proceeded down their path back home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Sins of the Past**

Once the fireteam had returned to the farm outside the remains of the last city, they formed a small bonfire outside, everyone sitting near it. They had been conversing for a while on what their next move should be, sometimes just bringing back memories from when the tower was the safest place on Earth. When it got around to Nezarec, the Warlock sighed and looked down at the helmet he had in his hands as he began to narrate his story to the rest of the fireteam.

 _I hadn't always been a Warlock, I was a Titan long before the attack. Of course, I changed my ways and took up a more, supportive form of combat. I still remember when I first met the other guardians, back when the world hadn't become a hellhole like this. I can remember quite a bit of the past, the time that didn't matter, but apart from when I recently woke up, I can't seem to recall anything. My career as a Titan really took off after we had raided the Vex stronghold that so many other guardians remember… The Vault of Glass._

"Hey, Nezarec, you still with us? We need one more person on the right plate to open this door."

 _That's a voice I can't forget, one of my best friends, Jacobson, a Warlock who had practically introduced me to this world when I found out I was a Guardian. He was a great guy, loved using Nova Bombs and just blasting away anything in his path._

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a second. He'll be fine on his own anyway."

 _I was always sarcastic with him. The two of us were inseparable, comrades to the end, like two peas in a pod. He put his life aside to get others, and I put mine aside to make sure no one gets hurt in the first place. Together, we couldn't be stopped. So, I headed over to the right plate, where Darius was holding off pretty well. Darius and I got along quite a bit, similar to Jacobson, although he was a Hunter, and boy did he love that Golden Gun. We defended for a while until that giant gate opened, of course we all headed inside with smiles on our faces and soon came across this massive platform. This was the Templar's Well, certainly most of the highlights of my life as a Titan were here. We all got to our places, all guarding the different confluxes, you guys know.. First the middle, then to the right and left, and finally all three. It was easy to hold off all those swarming Vex, I had my Ward of Dawn with blessing of light and one of the other Titans I was with had weapons of light. Definitely a recipe for survival, but we could only take so many hits. Anyway, Templar shows up after we destroy his oracles, we take him down with little to no sweat, preventing him from teleporting anywhere, and move on. At least, that's how I thought it would go. The confluxes were really a pain, all the voices going around at once, the gunfire from every direction, the countless enemies.. It was a lot to take in for a new guy._

"Nezarec, two Minotaurs on the right!"

 _Darius always pointed out where the big guys were as he ran around and dealt with many of the Harpies and Hobgoblins. My job was to take them out, and I did just that. The minute he said that, I rushed over and slammed my shoulder into those big chunks of metal, killed one of them. The second one wasn't so lucky, I got him with a shotgun to the chest. We continued to defend the confluxes before those Oracles came along, playing their song as they threatened to kill us. The entire fireteam made it through, killing off the remaining Harpies, Hobgoblins, Goblins, and Minotaurs. Once that Templar showed up, that's when the fun had really begun, where everyone began speaking to each other._

"Cover me while I get those Oracles!"

"I'll take the Harpies!"

"Make sure you don't drop that Relic!"

"I'll defend this location, he's not getting past me!"

 _I gotta say, I was cocky then, certainly felt like I could take on the world with that Ward of Dawn. I rushed over to that right side and placed the large, purple bubble right on the teleport location, Templar hated me for that. While he was distracted, that's when another Hunter, Mathias, hit him with a Shadow Shot, and everyone started wailing on him with everything they had. Hammers of Sol, Shadow Shots, Golden Guns, Nova Bombs, Sleeper Simulants, Black Hammers, Ice Breakers.. You name it and there was a good chance we had it. We ended up dropping the giant Hydra with ease, soon just moving on to the Gorgon's Lair, which could have gone better, now that I look back at it._

"Alright, we gotta stay quiet. Nezarec, you're okay with that, right?"

" _I'm quiet eighty percent of the time I'm here."_

 _I had to explain to Jacobson as he gave me a light laugh as we began to advance forward. First, we ducked into what seemed like a ditch, everyone crowded around the other part just waiting to book it to the next location. We made it halfway before someone dropped off the rock we hid on, the minute he fell, I ran for it. Jacobson, Darius, and Mathias followed me pretty quickly, I'd expect nothing else from those two Hunters and a Warlock, we made it before the Gorgon's gaze leveled the team. Luckily, we found two other guardians near the gate, they got this far without any help, and now they had us. From there, we proceeded to the main room, the actual vault part of the Vault of Glass. That's when we met him.. That giant, fancy Vex, Atheon. I gotta say, he knew how to make an entrance. Damn, I wished I was able to do that so badly. Of course, being the idiot I was back then, I opened fire the minute I saw him. Jacobson instantly lowered my weapon and explained we won't be doing much of anything against him now. The Warlock showed me the timegates, where I was pretty confused until I finally got the hang of remembering what planets were where. After we got three of our men out from Mars, one of the first teleportations, we got to the center platform, where I put up my weapons of light ward while I felt this strange feeling of power in me. That's when Darius yelled those words I'll never forget in a while._

"Let 'em have it, guys! All of it!"

 _Everyone wailed away at this giant Vex, even more than the Templar, firing off everything they had, and then some. Shortly after, we cycled through the same thing again and soon defeated him, blew that core right out of his chest. Of course, we began to brag about how great all our loot was, until I explained to everyone that I received a Vex Mythoclast from Atheon's corpse. If that didn't make it bad enough, I had the Chronoshot ornament from my Vault to go with it, which really made the gun look nice. That's where it all started, especially during my retirement. I decided to retire from being a Guardian, from there, it was too much work and not enough time to complete it. I couldn't handle the constantly updating code that other Guardians lived by. I studied on becoming a Warlock, soon becoming a merchant to raise some glimmer so I can afford professional lessons. It went well for around a year, until that thing rose from the dead. I still remember it clear as day, seeing the first of it as I entered Rasputin._

 _Siva… That's where my life took a turn for the worse. I still remember the voices, the power, the ability to make and destroy as I please. It was wonderful, I loved it, but that was only a taste, and augmenting myself with it meant I could grow even more powerful. This lust for strength grew in me to the point where I had actually accepted that corrupted machine, letting it take control of my entire life. On the bright side, I felt great, I felt like I could take on the world, however, on the dark side, I had to take on the world, which included former allies. The voices still haunt me._

"I'll put you down for your treason!"

"We trusted you and now you give us this?!"

"You disgust me, Nezarec!"

 _They stayed swirling in my head until I finally snapped, and hell broke loose in Old Russia. I had abused my power of Siva and ramped up production, creating machines that would eventually lead to the destruction of the other guardians. The power had consumed me by then, I had no idea what was right or what was wrong. I just carried out what Siva asked, and I was paid well for my services. I ended up killing the fireteam I once called family, and soon made the second decision in my life that wasn't my own, taking this to the tower. I only got so close before a lone Hunter stepped in my way, threatening to put an end to me if I took one step closer. Of course, I didn't lesson, and he was right, in a way. He did put an end to that Siva abomination and returned my unconscious body to the tower, where I woke up with a horrible pain in my spine and a few bullet wounds in my stomach and arms. I realized what had happened two weeks after that, and that's when I was exiled from the tower for endangering innocent lives, combat in the tower plaza, and treason. I never returned again, nor did I meet that Hunter, all I remember was that blade he held so dear to him, the one which looked like a hand cannon then stretched into a sharpened weapon for battle. My life was affected heavily by Siva, I had no control over myself, but the power was just so tempting I couldn't help but take it. Life hung by a thread every second I was alive, I'm glad that strange human came along and pried it out of me._

".. Life hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows for me, unlike what it must have been for all of you. It just seems like you three had it easier growing up."

"For you guys, life was easy. I was cast out onto a floating rock, which I was forced to call home. Mara never liked me ever since the day I left to join the Guardians."

Nolma explained, soon going into how she used to be close friends with Mara Saav, the Queen of the Awoken. She went into detail on the various things they did as friends, especially what they wanted to be when they grew up. Of course, both of them accomplished their missions, only Nolma was the one who lived longer and assisted another fireteam in defeating Oryx. The group listened intently, especially Nezarec, as he still had butterflies in his stomach from every time he heard her voice. He continued to disregard the feeling as 'love', thinking he didn't have the time for it, but referred to it as an 'allergy,' as it was only when she was around. The Awoken girl had soon finished her own story, looking around at the others as the moon ahead was their last source of light, their campfire already extinguished. Lamnus had already fallen asleep, Nezarec and Monarch remained awake, the Exo unable to feel tired or any kind of fatigue. The Human, however, continued to listen as she finished, nodding before he fell onto his side, snoring loudly. He was clearly tired from all the events they had come back from. Nolma joined him, rolling her sleeping bag next to his as she also fell asleep. Monarch was the only one awake, and he stayed that way to make sure that no one ambushed them in their sleep. If there was anyone amongst the group who needed a friend to look after them, he was the go-to guy, technically machine.

"Heh.." Monarch said to himself quietly as the others slept soundly. "..At least you guys still have your bodies. This is the closest thing I'm getting to my old one."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Heart of the EDZ**

The other members of the group soon woke up, only to see Monarch sitting on the ground, leaned against one of the nearest supply crates. The Exo had been up all night, keeping watch for them as they got the rest they actually needed. Luckily for him, he had been programmed not to feel pain or any kind of fatigue, which made him a near-perfect soldier. Lamnus and Nezarec didn't seem to see anything wrong with the picture, however, Nolma was the only one to thank him. She nodded to the man who returned it with a smile, at least the best he could muster at the time. Everyone stood and began to wake themselves up more, stretching and yawning as they were preparing for the day.

"So, I take it you have some kind of plan, Nezarec, correct? You do have a plausible strategy to get to the shard, I presume."

"The exact opposite, really. We can just run in there, gun down anything in our way, and use anything the shard gives us to get out. That's when we can get back at the Red Legion for taking our home." Nezarec responded, chuckling a bit as he adjusted the helmet on his head.

A the others joined in, except Lamus, he actually look worried, especially after soon lashing at Nezarec. "So, you plan to just waltz right in and expect to be fine?!"

"What part of, 'gun down anything in our way,' did I not make clear?"

"What if the Red Legion are there? Do you expect us to stand a chance against a patrol squadron when we can't even use the light to our advantage?!"

"Yes, because I know we're a small band of soldiers.." Nezarec said as he marched up to Lamus, staring him directly in the eyes as he spoke up again. "..Not a bunch of pansies. We fended off against the Fallen, twice, what makes you think the Cabal can be any different?"

The darker Warlock then got everyone's weapons and tossed them to each of the respected owners, everyone arming themselves for their next scouting mission. Lamus muttered something to himself as he was the first to begin walking down the path out of the farm. "Yeah.. Compare scavengers to a well-trained military.. That works."

Clearly, Lamus was going to remember that statement. Monarch, Nolma, and Nezarec soon followed behind, the Titan taking the front of the small pack while Nolma and Lamus were in the back. Nezarec stayed in the middle, still making sure his visor and the metallic horns of his helmet were as clean as possible. It was a habit of his. The group began their long trek out of the farm and towards the shard, where they would eventually come across the entrance to the Trostlands, where they entered the area from the West, marching in front of the Church as Monarch told them to stop, bringing the team to a halt. Each of them ducked a bit as they approached the nearest cover to their right, which looked like a broken cemetery just across from the Church. It seemed there was already a fight breaking out on the other side of it, Cabal and Fallen actually exchanging shots at one another. Each soldier of the hostile forces, coordinated with their teams for tactical advances or informing of positions of their enemies, especially the Cabal, who were making a significant push towards the Fallen as they retreated.

"Alright, so, we know that we have a common enemy. Should we try speaking to them?"

Nezarec said sarcastically as he looked to Lamus, who was just rolling his eyes behind his helmet, ready to open fire when given the chance. Monarch made the gesture to shut them up as he signalled with his hand for them to follow. The team of four began to sneak behind the Cabal forces, which was composed of a Gladiator, four Phalanxes, and two Legionaries. They were well-prepared, it was surprising the Fallen held them off for this long. The Exo continued to lead them before he gave the signal which caught both the Guardians and the Cabal off guard.

"Open fire!"

The Exo was the first to shoot, taking out the booster pack on one of the Phalanx's back, which erupted and killed the soldier. He would have fired another shot if the Gladiator hadn't rushed at the team and caused them to disperse. Monarch didn't care however, sending his fist into the side of the Cabal soldier's helmet, causing him to stumble to the side.

"Deal with the rest! This one's mine."

He called to the team as he strapped his weapon to his back, getting into a fighting position. The Gladiator did not seem to oblige, keeping the large blades with him as he rushed forward again. The Exo moved to meet the large soldier as the other three lightless Guardians began to open fire at the Cabal Phalanxes. They sought cover as quickly as possible occasionally exchanging shots with the massive aliens, which proved useless against their shields. Lamnus signalled over to Nolma, gesturing to the left of them.

"Flank around them and cause a distraction!"

She nodded and rushed from her cover, soon positioning herself outside the main entrance of the Church, firing with her Deathstalker-4AU at the backs of the Cabal soldiers. Two of them turned around, creating an impenetrable wall, firing at both sides at this point. Nolma instantly took cover while Lamnus and Nezarec continued to fire away, before the lighter Warlock noticed something on the shields. A weak spot. The Awoken man took aim at the center of the sheild and fired, the shield soon deactivating and collapsing. He hesitated a bit before finally putting a bullet into the skull of the Phalanx soldier, soon rallying this info to his allies.

"Aim for the center! Break their shields!"

"Leave it to me." Nezarec called to the other Warlock before peeking out of cover with his Scathelocke and emptying the magazine into the center of the Phalanx's shield. Once it went down, he held down the trigger even more, the bullets slamming into the chest of the one facing them and the backs of the two facing the Awoken Hunter. Once the soldiers were dead, the three rushed over to Monarch, who was still in an intense fist-to-blade fight with the Gladiator. As Nezarec took aim, the Exo held out his hand to stop him.

"No need. Watch this."

The Titan rushed forward, sliding underneath the rapidly-approaching blade of the Cabal soldier and standing back up, at the same time kicking the Gladiator's knee to send him down on one knee. Monarch then took one of the blades the hostile alien was using and took a swing with the large blade. There was an eruption of smoke, a gargled yell, and a hissing sound. The Titan had taken off the head of the Gladiator with his own weapon, soon dropping it as he kicked the body onto its back. He turned to the group, who just applauded for him.

"Way to go, Monarch!" Nolma cheered from behind the two Warlocks.

"Excellent display." Lamus said while clapping for the Exo.

"That's the definition of badass, man. Awesome work!" Nezarec said as he patted the Titan on the back.

The Exo just laughed and shook his head, gesturing for them to stop clapping, which of course they did. "Oh, it was nothing, just part of my programming. Now, let's get to that shard, shall we?"

The two Warlocks and the Hunter nodded to him, soon gathering all their weapons and reloading each of them. Nolma picked up the Titan's Good Bone Structure shotgun and handed it to him with a bright smile, the Exo returning the smile as he took the shotgun and thanked her. Once everything was done, they headed back on their journey deeper into the Trostlands. The group wandered down the broken city streets, talking to each other about the fight, seemingly more used to working with each other now, obvious by the way each of them were speaking.

"Again, that was one hell of a good takedown, Monarch. Where'd you learn to do that?" Lamnus started as they continued on their path.

"Self-taught, actually. I originally thought it would be something that would only work in theory, but not actually in practice." The Exo replied as he looked over to Nezarec. "I saw this guy gun down an entire squadron of Phalanxes back there. How come you're not taking any of the credit, Nez?"

"It was a team effort." The dark Warlock began. "If it wasn't for Lamnus figuring out that weak point in their shields, we would have run out of ammo."

He nudged the other Warlock, who just laughed and shrugged. "Hey, it's their fault they even made it glow orange in the center. Speaking of which, Nolma took that brave choice of flanking around them."

Nolma only giggled shyly, rubbing the back of her neck nervously as she looked at the others. "Come on guys, I didn't even get to kill anyone. It wasn't that big of a deal."

"Nonsense!" Nezarec said, turning to Nolma, chuckling a bit. "You really did help. It took a lot of pressure off of us so Lamus could find out how to take down the shields. Hell, I wouldn't have been able to do that."

The Warlock and the Hunter laughed together, spending plenty of time talking together as Lamnus continued to speak with Monarch, which they soon got into the topic of past training.

"I still remember my days as a human, especially as a soldier, serving in the ranks of the special forc-"

The Warlock stopped him right there, even stopping in his tracks since he was so surprised. "Wait, you were once human? What happened?"

Nolma and Nezarec kept going as Lamnus stopped Monarch, they just thought that the two were going to be trading some equipment. They soon stopped by an old, broken down car, sitting on the hood of it as the other two spoke. The Exo just sighed and continued walking, shaking his head to Lamnus as he joined the other two who were ahead.

"I'll be sure to explain everything later." He started. "But for now, don't worry about it. I'm even better like this."

The Warlock hesitated a minute before jogging to catch up to the others, calling out for them to wait as he walked with them once more. Hours of walking had passed before the team had finally arrived at what seemed to be a factory of sorts, approaching it from a ruined highway. Monarch was the first to begin exploring it, not seeing any enemies in sight. Lamnus and Nolma followed him, but Nezarec was stuck looking behind them at what seemed like a cave. Monarch noticed the Warlock staring at the empty area and approached him, raising an eyebrow, at least the Exo equivalent of one, speaking up.

"Did you find something? You're looking at that thing like it's-"

"The shard is in there. It's tiny, but there's enough light for all of us to use." Nezarec said, this definitely caught the attention of both Lamnus and Nolma as well. Each of the Guardians stood next to the Warlock, just staring at the entrance to this strange canyon. The darker Warlock was the first to approach the entrance, slowly drawing the Scathelocke off his back as he began taking his steps forward. The others joined him, making sure to stay close, this time Monarch in the back with Lamnus and Nolma paired with Nezarec up front. They soon came across what looked like a rift, a portal, not to mention the incredibly high concentration of Taken energy.

"I'm pretty sure whatever that thing is.. It is not the traveller's light." Lamnus remarked as he and Monarch took aim at the portal. Nolma approached it, trying to see if she could see anything while Nezarec just stood there, watching. He soon stood in front of the portal as well, gesturing for the lighter Warlock and the Titan to join them.

"So, who's up for a little portal jumping? Anyone?" Nezarec sarcastically remarked to the group.

"I suppose I can study where this takes us." Lamus replied.

"I'll be sure to keep everyone alive. It's my job." Monarch responded as he racked his shotgun, loading a shell into the chamber.

"If we end up dying, at least it will be together, right?" Nolma asked as Nezarec shrugged to her.

"One way to find out." He said right before entering the portal, everyone else following closely behind. Going through the rift was unbelievably loud and transported them deep into the forest, the group falling down a foot and crashing to the ground, everyone but Monarch hitting the ground hard. The Exo stuck the landing perfectly, everyone else, however, stumbled over upon landing. Nezarec luckily stopped himself from hitting the floor too hard, being the second to get to his feet. Nolma was the third, being agile enough to go into a combat roll and then to her feet and, of course, Lamnus being the last. He was unlucky enough to have an uneven surface of loose rocks when he landed.

"Of all the damn places?!" The light Warlock called out to the forest, his voice echoing through the area, Nezarec and Nolma seemed to chuckle a bit at the sight and sound of it.

"Hey, at least we're all okay, right?" Nolma asked as she dusted off her uniform, Monarch laughing and nodding.

"Couldn't be better. How about you guys?" He asked, Nezarec being the first to respond.

"Glad I didn't land on anyone."

"I just wish I didn't land on the f-" Lamnus started before he was shushed by Nolma, who was the first to move forwards through the forest.

It was like a variety of constellations directly in front of them. Each one depicting a different person. These ranged from famous Hunters to Titans, all of which had been lost to the world. The group of course visited each one, being visited by a voice that explained who it was, and told a short tale on how this Guardian came to be. Nolma was so focussed on the story of a Hunter who had made his way through multiple raids on the creatures of the darkness, only to end up being lost in time when a portal closed on him when assisting his team. Lamnus and Nezarec were told about a Warlock who had spent her time studying and used her vast knowledge of Warlock powers to defeat armies that came her way, only to be killed by a rouge Hunter. Monarch was enthralled by the tale of a Titan who had based and mauled his way through the center of the moon, no ammunition required before he had fallen to Crota's blade from overconfidence. Each of the Guardians had exciting stories behind them, but something interrupted this peaceful moment, the sound of a summoning. The ground shook as something roared in the distance, the lightless Guardians grouping together as they prepared for any combat.

"I'm guessing I wasn't the only one to hear that." Monarch said to the group.

"We definitely heard it." Nezarec responded, gesturing for everyone to stay close and move up. Something else was there with them. The small band of soldiers pushed forward, determined to find what was there and make sure it was not hostile. And surely enough, what waited for them beyond their view was another portal, this one surrounded by Taken who sought the traveller's light as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: The Cost of Light**

"I could have sworn they would have been gone since we killed Oryx."

"They're leaderless, but they still have a functioning chain of military command. Their creator may be dead, but they still live."

The Taken had already swarmed the area around the portal, sent by someone to stop anyone who had entered the forest. The Guardians took cover at nearby rocks and fallen trees, Nezarec being the only one to really peek over and get a glimpse of all the hostiles that stood between them and their objective. He looked over at Monarch, who exchanged the look as he gestured for the Warlock to sneak around somewhere on the right side, whispering.

"We'll take them out at once. Wait for my mark."

The human replied with a nod and began to climb a small rock ledge, soon arriving behind a bush that sat next to a large rock. There was a small gap between the two objects, which he would use to his advantage. Nolma and Lamnus went around the left side, the Hunter going the furthest while the lighter Warlock had stayed near the front. Monarch gestured to each one of them, counting down with his fingers starting at five.

The entire team took aim at whichever enemy was closest or appeared as a threat, making sure to have their crosshairs lined up with the heads of the Taken.

Four.

They all took this time to make sure ammunition was loaded into their weapons, as much as they could carry and hold in each firearm.

Three.

Nezarec was able to hear his heart pumping loudly, only audible to him, but he was worried that someone may miss, or that he would miss.

Two.

Nolma and Lamnus took slow, steady breaths, able to keep calm during this situation having full trust in their teammates.

One.

Monarch was the first to peek out of cover and open fire, the single slug round of his shotgun blasting a hole through one of the Taken, which made the creature implode on itself. This was followed by Lamnus and Nezarec, who had begun firing at the various Taken that looked towards the Exo. Each shot they made had sliced through the heads of the dark, hostile creatures, decapitating each one before sending their bodies back to the vessel where the Guardians had killed Oryx before. Nolma had sprinted along the back and emptied bullet after bullet into the distracted Taken's backs, most of which killed them instantly, some took more than one or two shots. Within seconds, the entire squadron was defeated, the Guardians grouping up in front of the portal once more.

"Well, we have to go in, I suppose. One way ticket to the light." Nolma said as she stepped toward the rift. Monarch gestured for her to stay back as he stepped forward.

"We will go in one at a time, we know this doesn't harm us. I'll secure the LZ, you guys cover my back when we're in." He said to the team, racking his shotgun once more after loading a few more slug rounds into the receiver.

The others nodded, the Titan being the first to walk through, sticking his landing once more before getting into a crouched position, waiting for the rest. Lamnus and Nolma stepped through, taking the same position, but facing opposite directions from one another. Last was Nezarec, who landed in the middle, but took the front in replace of Monarch, he had earned his leadership position now. The team moved together down what seemed to be a slope with a frozen lake off to their left, Nolma was the first to see it, tapping Nezarec on the shoulder and gesturing towards it. It was the shard of the traveller. The two of them first just stared at it before the Warlock spoke up.

"There it is. We found it!" He said, lurching forward before Nolma pulled him back by his collar, holding a finger to her helmet, telling him to be quiet.

Monarch pointed forward as Lamnus nodded, moving up as he took the Copperhead-4SN from his back and took aim. There was something else with them as well, most likely more Taken soldiers. The group of lightless Guardians continued their slow, steady advance before they had finally arrived at the shard, walking across what felt like the solid, frozen lake. All of them admired the small, glowing shard of light, each one of them excited to have finally found it. Monarch was the first to become one with the light, feeling the surge of power through him as he suddenly illuminated, which then faded out. The Titan had finally regained his abilities and had become a Sentinel. Lamnus came next, illuminating for a second before returning to normal. The lighter Warlock unlocked his abilities as a Stormcaller. Then came Nolma, embracing the light to regain her powers as a Gunslinger.

"This is amazing! I've never felt better." Monarch remarked as he looked down at himself, feeling more human despite being a machine.

"I finally feel powerful again! I love it!" Lamus called out, able to softly glide above the ground.

"Finally, back to the way it used to be!" Nolma said with a bright smile as she had summoned one of her throwing knives, tossing it away and watching it erupt in a ball of fire on contact with the ground.

The last one was Nezarec, staring at the shard before he approached it slowly, the others watching him, waiting for him to regain the power he once lost. The dark Warlock reached out to the shard, the strange object glowing as his hand got closer, until a certain sound broke the silence of the moment. Nezarec felt a massive, sharp sting in his back, followed by an oddly cold breeze. Lamnus and Nolma gasped, shocked to witness this event. Monarch only replied with one word.

"Snipers!" He called to the rest as he created a large wall between the team and the Taken Hobgoblins, which had been hiding in the outer reaches of the area for just the right time.

Nezarec fell to the ground, his vision blurring as he slammed against the cold surface of the frozen lake, soon seeing he was staring up at the sky, but unable to move. Everything felt as if it was in slow motion, bullet casings flying over or landing on top of Nezarec as the other Warlock and the Titan covered him. Nolma was the first by his side, lifting his head slightly so that the bleeding would slow itself. Nezarec could see the Awoken man and the Exo firing out at the rapidly approaching Taken forces, Lamnus soon turning around and rushing towards Nezarec placing a healing rift directly underneath him. This was only keeping him alive longer, extending the time he was in pain. The dark Warlock looked towards Nolma, his right hand extending as she clutched it tightly, trying to speak to him, but he was unable to hear it. The man looked behind him with a pained grunt, glancing at the shard as he began to crawl towards it. The Awoken woman had to hold him there, or else he would leave the healing rift and die. That's when Nezarec turned back to her, staring into her eyes as he uttered his final words to her.

"Wish me luck…" The minute he had said that, he begun to stand, getting to his feet before the healing rift had dissipated.

The pain instantly returned as the Guardian fell forward, his vision fading to black as he felt his hand brush against something, the one thing he wanted to get to. If he wanted to die, he wanted to die with the light of the traveller by his side. He had finally died, killed by a Taken hobgoblin before he was able to recover his light. Monarch was too busy holding the line, noticing that the wall he had placed was slowly beginning to crack and break.

"The wall is coming down! Let's give them hell!" He called to the others, only the Warlock getting ready.

Within seconds of the glass-like barrier shattering, Lamnus and Monarch both cast their super abilities, soon using them to completely obliterate the Taken forces. The Warlock zapped away as a Stormcaller, teleporting from enemy to enemy as he wreaked havoc among the battlefield. The Titan continued to bash and maul the enemies, adding in his grenades to make sure more died per attack. The Hunter had stayed behind, still mourning the loss of their newest ally, one she had just gotten to know. She knelt beside him the entire time, clutching his robes tightly as tears began to well up in her helmet, which she removed and set beside her. Nolma cried into the corpse of her now-deceased friend, unable to hear even herself from the Taken soldiers who had been completely slaughtered. Everything fell silent for a second. Monarch and Lamnus returned to Nolma, the Exo taking a knee beside Nezarec's body as Lamnus worked to pick him up. Nolma helped the Awoken man, lifting the corpse as Monarch then reached out and gripped the dead man's hand, bringing it to touch the traveller's shard.

"It's what he would have wanted." He said in a grim sounding voice, patting Lamus on the shoulder as the two of them carried Nezarec back to the farm, hiking the long trail back, carrying the dead Warlock they had only recently met.

Once back at the farm, the entire team had laid the deceased Warlock on his sleeping bag, making sure to have him keep his weapon. Something seemed odd about him. It felt as if he was not actually dead, still alive in some way, but the odds of being shot in the back and expecting to live without the light was slim to none. Lamnus did his best not to shed any tears, unfortunately to no avail as he silently began to sob into his palm. Monarch was unable to show his emotion, but sat there quietly, looking down at his shotgun in respect. Nolma was the only one really upset about it, holding onto Monarch as she tried to make her whimpering cries a bit quieter. The Titan only put an arm around her to comfort her, soon turning to Lamnus and nodding. They both knew what this meant, as they began to walk away. The Hunter was hesitant to follow, only kneeling beside Nezarec once more and giving him a tight hug, regardless if he could not feel it. She suddenly gasped at a strange feeling, looking down at the body in shock. He had returned the hug.

"N-Nezarec..?" She stammered out, leaning forward as she attempted to peer into the visor of the man, still at a loss for words.

"Heh.. So, that's what it feels like.." He replies in his deep, now raspy, voice.

He had survived the shot, the traveller's light had gotten to him just in time, any picosecond later and he would have never come back. The Hunter pulled him in once more for a tighter hug, the dark Warlock only smiling as he removed his helmet, setting it on the ground as he patted her back.

"Alright.. Alright.. Just let me recover for a day, okay? I don't need to be overworking my-" Before he was able to finish his statement, in the process of sitting up, the Awoken girl leaned towards him and kissed his on the lips.

Nezarec stared at her with wide eyes, for a second, confused and surprised at the same time before he just accepted it. He would have returned it, if she had not pulled away afterwards, blushing heavily as she looked away nervously. The Warlock laughed to himself, finally getting up a bit more as he looked at her with a smug smile and that same sly look in his eyes.

"Something you need to talk about, Nolma? Were you actually that worried for-"

"N-No! I j-just.. Look, this never happened, o-okay?" She managed to say to him, sighing as she spoke up again, this time a bit quieter. "Yes… I was worried."

The dark Warlock sighed and grunted as he stood from the ground, his friend following his lead. Once he was up, he then picked up his helmet and placed it on his head. He locked it in place before he walked with the girl to the small, colorful shack, where Lamnus and Monarch had been discussing something. Nezarec knocked at the door, the two Guardians signaling for Nolma to come inside. She was the first to enter, followed by the other Warlock.

"You guys had better not be talking crap about me." Nezarec said sarcastically as he limped into the shack.

The other two stared with wide eyes, especially Monarch, Lamus soon breaking out into laughing. Monarch approached Nezarec and poked at him to make sure he was actually there, which he was. The Exo chuckled as he looked at the Human.

"Looks like the traveller actually did give you the light again. Glad I could help."

"Thanks for having me touch that shard, Monarch. Wouldn't be alive without you." He explained, looking over to Lamus, who shook his hand quickly.

"Glad to see you made it out! We were just about to figure out where to bury you. Couldn't have more impeccable timing." The other Warlock was equally as excited to see him as everyone else, glad to still have their fireteam together.

They had cheated death, saved their friend at just the right moment, and all lived to see another day, but now with their light back. The team went on to celebrate not only the regaining of their abilities, but the return of their friend, who they thought had been killed in action, they soon all fell asleep after a nearly-night long celebration, all except for Monarch. The mechanical man just stayed awake, watching everyone sleep comfortably, soon turning and walking towards a rocky ledge, where he normally sits and thinks. As he arrived there, he took a seat near the edge, sighing as he began to think to himself while looking out at the farm. Suddenly, a voice called to him, but it wasn't loud at all, it was Nezarec, directly behind him.

"You alright, bud? Seems like you're a bit upset." The Warlock walked over and took a seat next to the Exo.

"Yeah.. Just remembering the times when I was actually able to have fun, able to drink and laugh, able to feel. Just the sight of everyone else like that makes me feel happy, yet at the same time sad." He replied.

Nezarec let out a worried sigh as he then leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees as he sat with the Titan.

"Well, think of it this way, of all the things that could have happened to you, this was the one that was decided. Whatever deity is out there gave you a second chance. Hell, did you not remember what happened just a few hours ago? It gave me a second chance too!"

"That seemed like luck more than anything religious, Nezarec."

"Yeah, but you get the point. You're still alive for a reason, Monar-"

"My real name used to be Weston." The Exo suddenly replied before Nezarec continues to speak.

"Well.. Alright, Weston. But look, I'm still alive because the traveller said my work was not done. Lamnus is here because he chose to, he volunteered to go to war with the Cabal!"

"And Nolma?" He suddenly asked, looking towards the Warlock with the equivalent of a confused expression on his face, which Nezarec didn't know how to answer.

"I.. Uh-.. Well.." The Warlock stammered before he then sighed and shrugged. "I really don't know, but we all appreciate her being here as well, especially me."

"I see- Wait.. What do you mean, 'especially you?'" Monarch's expression seemed to lighten to one that looked strikingly similar to a smirk, a very sly one too.

Nezarec went on stammering, unsure of what to say as he just shifted from position to position as he became a bit more uncomfortable. The Exo leaned back and just let out a short burst of laughter.

"Heh. Well, at least you two-"

"She ended up kissing me when I woke up.." Nezarec cut in, the Titan soon turning and staring over at him with widened eyes, clearly shocked to hear this.

He then smirked once more as he looked Nezarec up and down, nodding as he leaned back more, his hands now planted behind him.

"I see. I guess you've earned her then." Monarch replied. "I was one of her mentors before the Cabal decided to attack the last city. I had been stationed at the Reef for at least twenty, maybe thirty, years. I still remember having to raise that child that was just abandoned when both her parents ended up becoming Guardians and then sacrificing everything to kill the son of Oryx, Crota. They never made it past that giant abyss. Anyway, I taught her everything she knows today, and I'm sure as hell proud of it."

"So, she's like a daughter to you, huh?"

"Closest thing I'm getting to one and you better remember I'd defend her if the time comes. I'd throw myself in front of her anyday to block a bullet." Monarch replied, soon stopping as he noticed the Sun slowly peeking over the horizon. "You sure you're not tired?"

"And now you're suddenly _my_ dad?" Nezarec replied sarcastically as both shared a chuckle before the Warlock departed, waving to the Titan.

Monarch stood up once more and looked up at the sky, nodding as if talking to someone up there.

"Thank you for my second chance." He spoke quietly before he had gripped his Good Bone Structure and marched back to the rest of the group.


End file.
